The View Through the Window
by Lucathia Rykatu
Summary: All he ever thought of when he heard the word "mother" was the view he would see on cold evenings, a narrow window with the mother's back turned on him. But now, things were different. He had Teacher, suspicious uncle he may be. Features 39 LSK. Happy Mother's Day!


by Lucathia

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Sun Knight and make no profit from writing this.

 **Notes:** Happy Mother's Day! I wrote this fic two years ago for Mother's Day, so you might have already seen the story floating around. I decided not to post the story here until it wasn't spoilerish anymore. Translations of 39 LSK have already introduced Valica, so here's the story just in time for Mother's Day!

* * *

When it first happened to Valica, he was completely shocked. Sure, he'd heard others accidentally slip up in front of their teachers before, and later he'd even read about it in books, but Valica never thought it would happen to him too.

Unlike many of the others, he had never even known his mother. He didn't at all know what mothers were supposed to be like. He didn't even think of Elaro as an older brother until Elaro told him that the Holy Temple _is_ his family, the Leaf Knight his father, Elaro his older brother, and Ludia his older sister.

The point was, Valica didn't know the comfort of a family. He and "mothers" were worlds apart. All mothers ever did was chase Valica away from their trash cans. All he ever thought of when he heard the word "mother" was the view he would see on cold evenings, a narrow window with the mother's back turned on him.

 _I'm hungry,_ Valica would think. _Won't you spare me some food?_

They never spared him even a second glance.

With everyone on vacation and the teachers out on a mission, the loneliness of the Holy Temple gnawed at Valica so much that tears fell on the tenth day. He had tried and tried to keep them at bay, but he was not strong enough. It was like he had returned to the time when no one acknowledged his existence, where he was on the other side of the window and could only look on helplessly. He was an outsider. He didn't belong. If not for Elaro, Valica thought he would have been swallowed by his loneliness and self-doubt.

But Big Bro Elaro said the Holy Temple was his family.

Could he really think of the Holy Temple as his?

Valica knew that his teacher would eventually return. It wasn't like Teacher was going to abandon him. Valica knew this, but he couldn't stop feeling uneasy. Every day, he would gaze up at his teacher's closed door and know that no one was behind it.

There was no soup waiting for him, no smile, no pat on the head.

When his teacher finally returned from his mission, weary and unkempt, Valica didn't dare hope that his teacher would spare time for him. At least, not right away. There was paperwork to take care of, meetings to attend, sleep to catch up on, plenty of things more important than Valica.

His teacher proved him wrong.

Worried, his teacher bent down and ruffled his hair.

"How have you been? Have you been eating enough? Did anyone bully you while I was gone?" his teacher rambled.

Valica smoothed his hair down, but inside, his emotions weren't as easily smoothed over. _I missed you, Teacher. I was so lonely. You won't leave me, will you? I can stay, right?_

Though he had always been afraid to cling too much to his teacher, he found his hand reaching out to tug on the corner of his teacher's shirt, all of his emotions threatening to spill out. But all he blurted was, "Teacher, I'm hungry!"

* * *

The Leaf Knight made soup with the utmost haste, as if his life depended on it. He brandished his jars of seasoning like one might toss flying daggers. In no time at all, a bowl of steaming soup sat in front of Valica, and his teacher pulled out a chair to rest.

Valica blew on the soup. It was still nearly scalding when he lifted the spoon to his mouth. Tongue burning, he flicked his watering eyes up to study his teacher.

His teacher was falling asleep in his chair, figure slumped forward, arm propped on the table to support his head. His hair was a mess; there were even twigs sticking out of it. He really should have gone to take care of himself first. Valica wasn't important. Yet when Valica brought the spoon to his mouth, this time much more carefully, his teacher sat up just a bit straighter, a beaming smile coming over his face.

Teacher was always like this. He always looked super happy watching Valica eat. At first, Valica had thought his teacher to be a suspicious uncle - there were lots of grownups like that who tricked little kids - and Valica had indeed been tricked.

He had totally been tricked. The promise of soup had been all it'd taken. He thought he was going to be dedicating his life to the Church of the God of Light as the next Leaf Knight, and he was, but more than that, he had _this._

His teacher sat across from him, watching him fondly. Valica never thought he could have this, that he would be at the table, being taken care of. He had always thought it to be merely a view through the window, one he could never be part of. A pretty picture, but useless.

Yet here he was.

Teacher rambled off, like he was wont to do. Valica let his teacher's words wash over him, already used to his teacher's ways. He ate his soup contently.

In the midst of his rambling, Valica's teacher asked, "Would you like more soup?"

That was when Valica absentmindedly replied, "Sure, mama."

Both of them blinked. Valica had heard others slip up before, but he had never thought he would. The spoon dropped, and Valica hurriedly tried to correct his mistake. "I-I said, sure, Teacher!"

But his teacher would have none of that. With a huge grin on his face, his teacher came over to his side of the table and ruffled his hair.

"You are the sweetest, Valica. I'm so glad I chose you!"

Valica smoothed his hair down once more. His heart was still pounding hard, but a shy smile came across his face. He was glad that his teacher hadn't minded the slip.

More than a father, like what Big Bro Elaro had claimed the Leaf Knight was to Valica, he thought that maybe...

Maybe this was what having a mother who cared should feel like.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Valica, his teacher took great pride in being accidentally called, "mama."

"He called me 'mama'!" Elmairy exclaimed during the meeting where they were supposed to discuss the mission they had just completed.

Ceo smiled. "Ah, has Valica finally slipped up too? About time!"

Elmairy nodded. "Yes! Now you can't boast anymore that Shuis called you mommy!"

"Dear brothers, Sun is deeply touched that both of you possess the greatest benevolence of all, the love of a mother," Grisia snickered, since Elaro had never slipped and called him mother before. It was about time that Elmairy got called it! Grisia was surprised it hadn't happened earlier.

Both of them immediately turned the tables on him.

"Oho? Don't forget the time when Elaro kept calling you 'Big Sister'!" Ceo said.

"Sun, jealousy doesn't suit you," Elmairy said with a frown. "Don't worry, the only reason Elaro hasn't called you mother is because he's much older than the rest. I'm sure he thinks you're motherly."

Grisia slammed the table. "Only the two of you want to be thought of as motherly!"

* * *

the end

 **A/N:** I really wanted someone to slip up and call one of them "mom." XD; Thanks for reading!


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